This invention relates to water turbines operated by tidal flow, for example for electricity generation and the like.
Turbines of the type with which the present invention is concerned depend on a positive water head differential as between the turbine inlet and the turbine outlet, in order to obtain water flow through the turbine to operate same. If such a turbine is to be operated by tidal power on a continuous, around-the-clock basis, provision must be made for insuring that there is a continuous source of high level water at the turbine inlet and a continuous capacity for the turbine to discharge to a lower level throughout a tidal cycle, despite the ever-changing water level of the tide as it rises and recedes. The invention provides a system for achieving such operation.